The present invention relates to a method and system for setting a probe area (i.e., retrieval region) on a wafer-shaped substrate (hereinafter referred to as “wafer”) and a probe apparatus comprising the system. More specifically, the invention relates to a method and system for setting a probe area, which can detect objects formed on the outer periphery of the wafer and automatically setting a probe area, and a probe apparatus that comprises the system.
A conventional probe apparatus comprises a loader chamber and a prober chamber. In the loader chamber, a wafer is transported and pre-aligned in the loader chamber. In the prober chamber, the chips on the wafer are inspected for their electrical properties. In the prober chamber, a stage (hereinafter referred to as “main chuck”) holding the wafer moves in the X-, Y-, Z-, and θ-directions. A probe area is set in accordance with the positions of the edges of the wafer, which have been detected by an alignment mechanism. The probe area is that region of the wafer in which chips to be inspected are formed. The probe apparatus uses a probe card with a plurality of probes to inspect the chips formed in the probe area. After setting the probe area is set, the wafer is aligned with the probes of the probe card that is arranged above a main chuck. The stage holding the chips thereon is lifted until the electrodes of the chips electrically contact the probes. A tester uses a test head arranged between the probes and the tester, thereby to examine the wafer for electrical properties.
Hitherto, the operator sets the probe area by inputting the design position coordinates (address) of an outer peripheral object (hereinafter referred to as “edge chip”) to an input device.